Page 15 of Rodeo Cowboy
“Ladies and gentlemen of Whiskey Ridge Creek, we are just a few minutes away from ringing in the new year,” the mayor announces.
A wave of excitement spreads through the crowd.
“It’s almost time.” Bode pulls on my dress and hands me a shiny paper hat with a star-shaped clapper inside.
“Thanks, Bode.” I fasten the hat on my head.
“One for you, too, Uncle Sammy.” He holds up another hat and clappers.
“Thanks, buddy.” I like this gentle side of Sammy. It’s new but seems more natural than the quiet, tight-lipped man he’d been at my ranch.
On the stage, Rita tries to take the microtone from the mayor, but when he doesn’t let go, she leans over it. “Are y’all ready to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one?”
The crowd’s enthusiasm is contagious. Willow, McKenna, and Bode don’t resist joining in the cheering.
“Alright, folks, let’s get this countdown started!”The mayor raises his hands in the air. “Ten...nine...eight...”
The lead singer picks up his guitar and plays a slow, sentimental tune as everyone joins in.
“Seven...six...five...”
Bode’s wizard hat bounces as he jumps and shouts. McKenna waves her arms in the air, and I swear I see a flame flicker at one point. Even Willow’s smile doesn’t seem forced. I hoped and waited for a moment like this for the last year. A moment not consumed by the trauma of losing their parents. A moment where they lived in the now and not in the past. Sharing this moment with them brings tears to my eyes.
“Three...two...one! Happy new year!”
The crowd erupts in cheers and hugs as the band plays a triumphant melody. Fireworks explode overhead. The entire scene is magical.
Sammy squeezes my hand before he spins me in a circle and pulls me against his chest.
“Happy new year.” His breath kisses my face, and I realize he plans on kissing me. Our vows in the cheesy chapel are so foggy in my mind that I don’t remember kissing him or if we even consummated our marriage afterward.
“Happy new year.” My tongue moistens my lips in anticipation of making this kiss look real.
Nothing to do with want or desire. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.
His head dips down. My lips part. My breath catches in my chest.
Then he pauses. His eyes dart past me, focused somewhere behind me.
I twist my head and find Elsie standing behind me. Her eyes would throw daggers at Sammy if they could.
“Marriage, huh?” she asks. “Is it real or just another one of your lies?” The way her hands circle her stomach makes me wonder if the baby is his.
“Elsie...”
My head snaps back to him. Now I remember where I’d heard her name. The five of us spent one night crammed in a two-bed motel room. That’s the one name he called out in his sleep.
